What the Wind Brings Back
by cyumini
Summary: Even with the threat of the Titans looming over her, Fina Abanato falls in love Corporal Levi. All seems to be well when suddenly treachery and tragedy tears apart her life. In the midst of confusion and pain, will Fina be able to save humanity? Or will she lose herself in the process?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The sky was clear, the sun forgiving, and it was a perfect day to be out by the nearest pond and sit in the lush green grass while feeling the wind move across your face.

And yet here she was, chest heaving, legs burning, and for the umpteenth time in the short year that she had been in the Survey Corps, trying her hardest to not let her tears spill over.

Slim, petite, and barely reaching 5 feet, it amazed and pained all who watched Fina Abanato circle the dusty training grounds.

"How long has she been running?" whispered a boy with a shaved head.

"Since dinner last night," replied a girl with dark red hair pulled back into a ponytail.

The boy let out a low whistle. "Damn. So she's been running for about 14 hours now?"

The girl nodded.

"That's even longer than how much you ran on first day of training, Sasha," said the boy with a teasing smile.

"Oh shut up, Connie," snapped Sasha. "Poor Fina. She looks like a breeze could blow her away even when she's just standing there. I want to go rescue her. My poor Finaaaa," wailed Sasha.

Connie nodded in agreement. He remembered the days of training where for a full month, the other trainees had thought Fina was a lost child who had accidentally wandered into the training camp. With her petite build and her sweet, timid personality, Fina had immediately garnered a massive group of people that ferociously protected her as if she actually was a small child. Even Connie felt an urge to go to her at that moment with water or something to shade her with.

As much as everyone adored her, no one had expected Fina to last more than a week in training. They could barely find a uniform that wouldn't engulf her and they had to cut her 3DMG straps to make sure the remaining length wouldn't fly around everywhere when she used the 3DMG.

And yet here she was in the Survey Corps, having graduated nearly in the top ten. Everyone knew that Fina would have easily made the top ten, had she not received zero points in hand to hand combat.

She had always been reluctant to participate in it as she didn't like the idea of hurting her peers, even in training. Even so, the officers had forced her to do the basics. But one day, she had used a move that sent the tall, muscular Reiner sprawling and the moment he hit the ground, she had burst into tears, apologizing profusely.

Reiner was the object of everyone's hatred for several days afterwards for making Fina cry. Even though he assured her that he was fine and that she hadn't caused a single scratch on him, Fina had refused to take part in any combat from that point on.

She might have been kicked out or have failed to graduate had she not destroyed everyone during 3DMG training. When the first day to actually use the 3DMG came, everyone had teased her, since the gear seemed to be larger than her body. Many people weren't sure if she could handle the recoil in the gear or even carry it around. But when it was her turn to enter the training forest, the entire squadron became silent and the only sounds that could be heard were the hissing and zipping noises of her 3DMG.

She flew.

There were no other words to describe her. It seemed as if the maneuver gear was just another part of her body that she would use on a daily basis. Almost as if she had been using the 3DMG since she was born, Fina's movements were so precise and intricate, even the instructors couldn't help but stare at her in awe. The speeds she reached on her gear was said to have rivaled that of the great Corporal Levi's. Her nearly unseeable speeds and her delicate body frame had quickly earned her the nickname "Hummingbird" after that first day of gear training.

Though many times, Connie feared for her safety in the harsh environment that was the Survey Corps, Fina also possessed an unnatural amount of stubbornness and determination that had helped push herself out of other people's worries or expectations.

"Fina!"

Connie was jolted out of his thoughts by Sasha's cry. She dashed past him and when Connie's gaze followed her to the sight of Fina's frail body collapsed onto the ground, he let out a strangled gasp as well and ran towards her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Levi rushed down the hallway, his hair and cravat flying as he ran. He quickly turned the corner, only to run into poor Marco who stumbled back in shock and horror.

"I-I apologize Corporal!" he stammered, cowering at the sight of the glowering captain.

"Watch where you're going next time, Cadet!" was all Levi barked before running down the hallway again.

The sun was setting and its disappearing rays cast a deep orange and red shade across the walls of the building, creating long, exaggerated shadows. The day itself had been a quiet day, with no particularly harsh training or bad news. Except the way that Levi was rushing towards the hospital wing, it appeared as if the entire world had ended.

Levi stopped in front of a closed door, checked the name plate by the door and flung it open. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Hanji Zoe looked up, with a slightly startled look in her wide, brown eyes, frozen in her previous actions which was wiping a certain young female cadet's forehead with a cool, wet cloth. "Nice to see you too, Levi," she said with a small smile when she finally regained her senses.

Levi frowned before walking over to where Hanji sat next to the sleeping Fina. The young cadet's hair was plastered against her forehead from where the nurses and Hanji had applied wet cloths and her face still had a bit of the red tinge from overheating. She was sleeping but her brows were slightly furrowed, as if even in her dreams she was worrying about something.

Levi sat down in a chair across from Hanji. "How long has she been out?"

"Connie and Sasha brought her in this morning," replied Hanji. "It's a good thing they were out there with her too. If she had been left alone, she could have been in critical condition."

Levi tightened his fists. "Idiot. Stupid brat. Why would she do that?"

Hanji gave the captain an exasperated look. "I wonder which Corporal ordered her to run until she dropped last night, hmm?"

The frown on the so mentioned Corporal's face. "How the hell was I supposed to know that she would take it so literally?"

Hanji shrugged. "Oh I don't know. That scowling face. That threatening posture. The menacing tone of voice? I really have no idea."

"Shut up shitty glasses," snarled Levi before turning to look at Fina's sleeping figure in the hospital bed again.

Hanji observed the captain with a small, knowing smile before changing her expression quickly to a face of mischief. "You like her, don't you?"

The effect of those words on Levi was immediate. " _What_?" he said, a mixture of surprise, aggression, and hostility appearing on his face. "Why the _hell_ would you think that, shitty glasses?" Before Hanji could reply, he quickly continued. "She's a cadet in my squad, so I appreciate and acknowledge my skills. Don't get any misconceptions over this."

With that, he stood up and turned to leave when Hanji called out to him. "I have to go back to my office and all the nurses are off treating other people but I'm sure Fina will be fine all alone, right?"

Levi paused abruptly. After a slight moment of hesitation he slowly turned back around with his usual stoic expression on his face. "Well… I can look after her for a bit, if that will make you work your ass harder."

Hanji beamed. "Oh yes definitely, I'm almost done with my report on the two abnormals that we saw in our last expedition. You're going to have to read it after I'm done. It's quite amazing!" She skipped over to Levi, patted his head, and ran out before he could snap her arm off.

Before she was completely out the door though, she glanced back into the room and smiled softly to herself when she saw the corporal sit down and reach for Fina's hand.

 **A/N: Thank you so much for the follows/reviews so far! I will try to update more often once finals are over so please continue to support** _ **What the Wind Brings Back**_ **!**


End file.
